Free to start
YouTube to Shorts Converter — paste a link, get shorts
Paste a YouTube link and the Create shorts window opens right away. While you pick a look and a length, the video downloads to your computer, and AI starts making shorts the moment it's in.
How to convert a YouTube video into shorts in 3 steps
01. Paste a YouTube link
Drop the video's address into the bar and hit Generate. Short youtu.be links work too. The Shorts Zone Link helper downloads the video on your own computer.
02. Pick a look and a length
Choose a layout in Quick start, then set the shorts length, captions, intro title and background music in Settings. The video keeps downloading while you choose.
03. Get your shorts, ranked by score
As soon as the download finishes, AI picks the moments and makes the shorts. Each one gets a virality score and they're sorted best first, with a link back to the original YouTube video.
No waiting for the download
The settings window doesn't wait for the whole video. It opens first while the video downloads behind it, and if you press Generate early, it starts on its own the moment the download is done. The video moves only on your computer, never through our servers.
Longer videos give more shorts
A 10-minute video aims for about 4 shorts, 20 minutes for 7, and anything over 45 minutes for 12. Even when a video scores low, it never drops below the minimum that fits its length.
Length, captions and music — set before you start
Pick a shorts length of Auto, under 30s, 30–60s or 60–90s, and switch captions, an intro title and background music on or off. The layout is one card in Quick start.
Why Shorts Zone
Never cut mid-sentence
Every short starts and ends on a sentence boundary, so nothing stops halfway through a thought.
A virality score for every short
A 0–100 score, a first-3-seconds check and one honest note make it easy to pick what to post.
Your video stays on your device
Cutting, captions and rendering all run in your browser. Only transcript text is sent to the AI.
Paste a YouTube link
The Shorts Zone Link helper downloads it on your own computer. Drive and Dropbox links and files work too.
Korean, English, Japanese, Dutch, Italian and Traditional Chinese
Transcribe and caption in all six languages. From Pro, translate captions into any of the other five.
Follows whoever is talking
Going from 16:9 to 9:16 keeps the speaker centered, and splits the screen for two or three people.
Long videos welcome
Up to 30 minutes free, 60 on Lite, and no length limit from Pro.
Free to start
3 videos per account for free. Lite ($4.9/month) adds watermark-free 1080p.
Frequently asked questions
How does the YouTube video get downloaded?
The Shorts Zone Link helper for Mac and Windows downloads it on your own computer. Install it once, and after that you only paste links. The video never passes through our servers.
Can I paste YouTube links on my phone?
YouTube link import works on Mac and Windows computers. On a phone, upload the video file instead.
Can I use any YouTube video?
Only use your own videos or videos you have the rights to. Post shorts made from someone else's video only when you have the rights to.
How many shorts do I get, and how long are they?
About 4 from a 10-minute video, about 9 from 30 minutes, and up to 12 once a video runs past 45 minutes. On Auto, AI picks the right length for each moment, or you can set under 30s, 30–60s or 60–90s in Settings.
Is it free?
Yes. Free covers 3 videos per account, up to 30 minutes each, exported at 720p with a watermark. From Lite you get watermark-free 1080p.
More AI tools
- AI Shorts Maker — Drop in one long video and AI finds the moments worth sharing, then cuts them into vertical shorts that never stop mid-sentence — each with a virality score.
- AI Prompt Clipping — Describe the moments you want in plain words — "find the part about our first customers" — and AI searches the whole video and adds them as new short drafts. Generate only the ones you like.
- Virality Score — AI gives every short a 0–100 virality score and a first-3-seconds score, plus what works and one honest note — so you know what to post first.
- AI Caption Generator — Auto-caption your shorts with word-by-word highlights. Switch the look with 25 presets and 67 fonts, and fix any misheard word by clicking its line.
- Autopilot — When your channel posts a new video, or you upload a video file, AI picks the best shorts and schedules them to each YouTube, TikTok and Instagram account. Available on Pro and above.
- Podcast Clip Maker — Even with two or three people on screen, it cuts your podcast into vertical clips that follow whoever is talking. Quick back-and-forth gets both people, stacked top and bottom.